With the Video views subtype, you get more views for your video ads at a lower cost. We show your ads where they perform best.
Video views simplifies the views buying experience. You set the average bid amount that you’re willing to pay for a view. We’ll automatically find as many views as we can using in-feed video ads, skippable in-stream video ads, and Shorts ads.
In this article, you’ll learn about the benefits of Video views, how it works, and how to create it in your Google Ads account.
On this page
- Benefits of Video views
- How Video views works
- Create a Video views campaign
- Video enhancements
- Creative guidelines
Benefits of Video views
- Set your campaign up easily with a simplified process as you no longer need to think about formats and format combinations.
- Get more return on investment (ROI) with more potential views for the same budget, as your videos can serve on various ad formats using Google AI.
- Build brand consideration by showing your ads when viewers are browsing and discovering, watching long-form content, and enjoying and discovering short-form content.
How Video views works
Some video ads perform better using certain ad formats. Video views campaign use multi-format video ads, which mix and match your video ads across multiple ad formats to figure out where they perform best.
If you don't want to use multi-format video ads, you can still use skippable in-stream ads or in-feed video ads in separate ad groups. However, using different ad groups with the same settings can make your ads compete with each other. This can lower the total number of views your campaign can receive. Using multi-format video ads ensures that your ads will serve on all formats, in one ad group, maximizing your total views.
Shorts ads are only available for multi-format ad campaigns, mixed with in-stream and in-feed video ads.
Ad formats under Video views
- Skippable in-stream adsplay before, during, or after other videos. After 5 seconds, users can skip the rest of the ad. To count as a view, users must engage with or watch your video ad for at least 30 seconds or until the end of the ad if it’s less than 30 seconds.
- In-feed video adsappear as thumbnails with a video image and some text. Users can watch the video ad autoplay inline or click the thumbnail to watch the video ad on a larger screen. To count as a view, users must click the thumbnail or watch the ad autoplay for at least 10 seconds. or until the end of the ad if it’s less than 10 seconds.
- Note: In most cases, in-feed video ads don’t count as views unless someone clicks on the ad. With Video views, a view counts when an in-feed video ad autoplays for at least 10 seconds or until the end of the ad, if it’s less than 10 seconds. This increases overall campaign views and can give you more information about who is paying attention to your ads, to help you improve future campaigns.
- Shorts adsplay on YouTube Shorts, YouTube’s short-form video feed. Users can skip the ad anytime. To count as a view, users must watch the video ad for at least 10 seconds or until the end of the ad, if it’s less than 10 seconds.
Learn more About video ad formats .
Bid strategy
The bid strategy for Video views is Target cost-per-view (CPV). With Target CPV, you set the average amount you're willing to pay for each view your campaign receives.
From the Target CPV you have set, we'll optimize bids to help get as many views as possible. Some views may cost more or less than your target. Learn more About cost per view (CPV) bidding .
Create a Video view campaign
Watch our Google Ads Tutorial video to learn how to set up your Video view campaign.
- Go to Campaigns within the Campaignsmenu.
- Click the plus button
, then select New campaign.
- Select Awareness and considerationas your campaign objective.
- Select the Videocampaign type.
- Select Video viewsas your campaign subtype.
- Click Continue.
- Enter a campaign name.
- (Recommend) We recommend enabling multi-format ads by checking the box “Get more views with multi-format video ads” in the “Multi-format ads” section. You can select the inventory you want your campaign to serve in this section. The available ads are:
- In-stream ads skippable
- In-feed ads
- Shorts ads.
You must select at least one inventory type. We recommend using all 3 inventories to maximize the views you can get for your campaign.
- In the “Bid strategy” section, Target CPV will automatically be selected. This lets you set the average amount you’re willing to pay for a view.
- Enter additional details about your campaign , such as your budget.
- Set up campaign targeting to reach people searching for your brand or business.
- The checkbox in the “Multi-format video ads” section will be checked by default. If you want to opt out from using multi-format video ads, uncheck the checkbox.
- Note: When you opt out from using multi-format video ads, you can only use in-stream ads or in-feed video ads. Shorts ads are only available with multi-format ad campaigns. Opting out of multi-format video ads to use format-specific ads may reduce the number of views for your budget.
- Create your ads . For the Video views campaign subtype, you can add up to 5 videos. Based on the video that you added, we’ll recommend that you add videos with different orientations to help you get more views.
- Review your campaign settings. If everything looks good, click Continue to campaign.
- Click Create campaign.
Video enhancements
During ad creation, you can use the video enhancements feature. This creative enhancement feature uses Google AI to automatically create more versions of your videos for you in vertical aspect ratio (9:16).
| Original (16:9) | Vertical (9:16) |
|---|---|
| Corner Ad 16:9 | Vertical Ad 9:16 |
The smart technology ensures that key elements in your original video are shown properly in the new enhanced videos. Additional versions of your video run automatically if they pass a quality review.
Creative guidelines
1080p (Full HD)
Recommended pixels (px) for HD:
- 1920 x 1080px (horizontal)
- 1080 x 1920px (vertical)
- 1080 x 1080px (square)
720p (Standard HD)
Minimum px:
- 1280 x 720px (horizontal)
- 720 x 1280px (vertical)
- 480 x 480px (square)
Minimum px for SD:
- 640 x 480px (horizontal)
- 480 x 640px (vertical)
- 480 x 480px (square)
- 16:9 for horizontal
- 9:16 for vertical
- 1:1 for square
- 4:3 (SD) for horizontal
- 2:3 (SD) for vertical
Format composition
- Skippable in-stream
- In-feed video
- Shorts
Recommended orientations and best practice ad lengths
- At least one horizontal :60-3:00, one horizontal :15, and one vertical :10-:60
- Skippable in-stream: ≥:05 horizontal
- In-feed: ≥:05
- Following recommended orientations and ad lengths will allow you to run across all eligible inventory.
- Studies show that ads :60-3:00 drive more consideration lift than shorter versions and help tell your story.
- Use both vertical and horizontal videos to serve the right aspect ratio on its intended surface. Horizontal videos can serve across skippable in-stream and in-feed inventory. We'll only serve horizontal videos on Shorts if you don't have a vertical video in your ad group. However, if you're using video enhancements, eligible horizontal videos may appear as vertical videos. Vertical videos are used primarily for Shorts inventory but can sometimes serve on skippable in-stream inventory.
